Abatement of hydrogen sulfide with an aldehyde ammonia trimer

Abstract

The present invention provides a method for scavenging H 2 S from aqueous and hydrocarbon substrates, preferably natural gas, using aldehyde ammonia trimers.

I claim: 
     
       1. A method for reducing an amount of sulfhydryl compounds in sour aqueous and sour hydrocarbon substrates comprising scavenging said sulfhydryl compounds from said substrate with a scavenging agent comprising aldehyde ammonia trimers which trimers contain no alkoxyalkylene substituents, wherein said aldehyde ammonia trimers are present in an amount sufficient to reduce said amount of said sulfhydryl compounds in said substrate. 
     
     
       2. The method of claim 1 wherein said aldehyde ammonia trimer comprises the following general structure: ##STR3## wherein R 1 , R 2 , and R 3  are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and hydrocarbon groups having between about 1-8 carbon atoms, wherein said hydrocarbon groups are selected from the group consisting of straight, branched, and cyclic alkyl groups, aryl, alkaryl, and aralkyl groups, and heterocyclic alkyls containing oxygen or tertiary nitrogen as a ring constituent. 
     
     
       3. The method of claim 2 wherein R1, R 2 , and R3 are methyl groups. 
     
     
       4. The method of claim 2 wherein said substrate is natural gas. 
     
     
       5. The method of claim 3 wherein said substrate is natural gas. 
     
     
       6. The method of claim 1 wherein said substrate is treated at a temperature of between ambient to about 65.6° C. 
     
     
       7. The method of claim 2 wherein said substrate is treated at a temperature of between ambient to about 65.6° C. 
     
     
       8. The method of claim 3 wherein said substrate is treated at a temperature of between ambient to about 65.6° C. 
     
     
       9. The method of claim 4 wherein said substrate is treated at a temperature of between ambient to about 65.6° C. 
     
     
       10. The method of claim 1 wherein said effective amount of said scavenging agent is between about 0.8-1.7 ppm of scavenger for every 1 ppm of hydrogen sulfide in substrate. 
     
     
       11. The method of claim 2 wherein said effective amount of said scavenging agent is between about 0.8-1.7 ppm of scavenger for every 1 ppm of hydrogen sulfide in substrate. 
     
     
       12. The method of claim 3 wherein said effective amount of said scavenging agent is between about 0.8-1.7 ppm of scavenger for every 1 ppm of hydrogen sulfide in substrate. 
     
     
       13. The method of claim 3 wherein said effective amount of said scavenging agent is between about 0.8-1.7 ppm of scavenger for every 1 ppm of hydrogen sulfide in substrate. 
     
     
       14. A method for reducing an amount of sulfhydryl compounds in natural gas comprising scavenging said natural gas with a scavenging agent comprising aldehyde ammonia trimers which trimers contain no alkoxyalkylene substituents, wherein said aldehyde ammonia trimers are present in and amount sufficient to reduce said amount of said sulfhydryl compounds in said substrate.